Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-07-07
FISH AS BRAIN FOOD.
A Popular Theory Completely Demolished
by Professor Atwater.

by Professor Atwater.
Even II fish were richer in phos-
phorus than meats or other food-ma-
terials. this would not establish its
superiority for the nutrition Of the
brain or the production Of intellectual
energy But there is no proof Of any
especial abundance. Of phosphorus in
the flesh Of our ordinary food fishes
differing in no important degree from
those which have been found to occur
in the flesh Of the other animals used
for the food of man.
Perhaps some of tho readers Of this
will put me down for an iconoclast, as
did most highly esteemed friend,
who bade me. with all candor and seri-
business, to beware Of thus ruthlessly
attempting to uproot an old and i'm
portant belief But possibly they will
have the charity to leave me humble
place in their consideration if / add
that there is. after all. way in which
fish may make very useful part Of
the diet Of brain-workers.
Psychologists tell us that tho way
to provide for the welfare of tho brain
is to see that the rest of the body is in
good order, that in other words, tho
old proverb OF "a sound mind in
sound body" is sound doctrine. And
they are getting to tell us further that
one way in which brain-work is him
dered is by bad dietary habits. as, for
instance, overlooking tho digestive
organs by taking too much food. OF
the vice of oycr-eating "a vice which
we Americans by no means monopo-
lize), considerable part. in this coun-
try at least and / think in England
and among well-to-do people on the
Continent of Europe, also. is tho vice
Of fat eating. We are n race Of fat
eaters. II any one doubts this. / think
statistics will convince him, unless he
Is ready to deny the practically un.
.animous testimony Of such facts as
have been able to gather. 1t comes
about very naturally and is really due
to the fertility of our soil, the consc-
quent abundance of food, and the
tOothsomeness Of food-materals rich
in fatty matters. The result of
this is that the quantity of fat in the
average Americans dietary is very
large indeed, mainly because Of the
large amounts Of meats, butter and
lard consumed, and is far in excess OF
the demands of his body, unless he is
engaged in very severe muscular work
or exposed to extreme cold, or both.
For people with sedentary occupations,
including tho majority Of brain-work-
crs. this simply means charging tho
organism with tho burden of getting
rid'of an excess Of material. This ex-
cess, the psychologists and physicians,
assure us, is d etrimcntal.
The flesh Of fish contains less fat
than ordinary meats. Some kinds, like
salmon, niackerel. white-6sh and shad
are quite fat, but the flesh of cod, had
dock, bass, blue-fish, perch. founder,
indeed tho majority Of our most COM
mon food fishes, has extremely little of
fatty and oily matters.
Now 1t seems to mo very reasonable
TO assume that brain-workcrs and other
people who do not have q great deal Of
muscular exercise may very advantage
ously substitute fish in the place of o
portion Of tho meat which they would
otherwise consume. am very well
aware that such hygienic advice might
come more appropriately from physi-
clan than from n chemist, and am
therefore glad to be able to quote from
no less an authority than Sir Henry
Thompson, who urges 'the value Of
fish to the brain-worker on the
ground that it contains, in smaller
proportion than meat those materials
which, taken abundantly, demand much
physical labor for their complete con-
sumption, and which. without this, pro-
duce an unhealthy condition of tho body,
more or less incompatible with the
easy and active exercise Of the func-
tions of tho brain"
Perhaps I ought to add that the
studies of the constitution Of the flesh
of fish in this laboratory, as woll as
similar Investigations elsewhere. show
that so far as the nutritivc qualities
arc concerned, the only considerable
difference between fish and ordinary
meats is In the proportion of oily and
fatty matters and water. Tho flesh Of